Safety device for electronic ignition of lighter

ABSTRACT

A safety device is mounted on a top side of a casing of a lighter, and includes an ignition button and a safety switch arranged on the ignition button. The ignition button is movably received in an open chamber defined in the top side of the casing to be depressible for ignition. The ignition button has a top face in which a slot is defined. The safety switch has a bottom face on which a projection is formed. The projection is movably received in the slot to retain the safety switch on the ignition button. A spring is arranged between the projection and the ignition button to provide the safety switch with a biasing force. The safety switch must be moved aside to disengage from a stop formed on a wall above the open chamber of the casing before the ignition button is depressed to set a fire on a fire outlet opening.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention generally relates to a fire lighter, and in particular to a safety device for electronic ignition of the fire lighter, which when in locked condition, secures an ignition button of the lighter and thus prevents undesired and inadvertent actuation of the ignition button.

2. The Related Art

One of the most commonly available lighters in the market is a disposable lighter comprising a plastic casing with fixed amount of gas filled therein. The disposable lighter has a very simple structure composed of few parts for reducing the costs. Such a disposable lighter is not safe-guarded by any safety device and it can be inadvertently ignited, causing undesired accident.

Thus, the drawbacks to be addressed by the lighter manufacturers are to eliminate potential risk of inadvertent actuation by for example a child or due to unexpected depression of ignition switch and to provide a leak-proof casing, which absolutely prevent leaking of the flammable gas.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Thus, the present invention is aimed to provide a safety device for electronic ignition of fire lighter.

An objective of the present invention is to provide a safety device, which comprises safety switch movably mounted on an ignition button whereby the ignition button cannot be triggered before the safety switch is open by being moved aside.

To achieve the above objective, in accordance with the present invention, a safety device is provided for mounting on a top side of a casing of a lighter, comprising an ignition button, and a safety switch arranged on the ignition button. The ignition button is movably received in an open chamber defined in the top side of the casing to be manually depressible to actuate an ignition mechanism accommodated inside the casing for setting a fire on a fire outlet opening. A stop having a flat top face and an inclined bottom face is formed on a wall of the casing that is located above the open chamber to block downward movement or depression of the ignition button. The ignition button has a top face in which a T-shaped slot is defined for engaging and retaining the safety switch and for guiding the movement of the safety switch on the to face of the ignition button along the slot. The safety switch has a bottom face on which a projection is formed. The projection is movably received and thus retained in the slot. A spring is arranged between the projection and an inside face of the ignition button to provide the safety switch with a biasing force that drives an end of the safety switch to be located on the stop formed on the wall of the casing above the open chamber. The safety switch is biased by the spring to engage the top face of the stop so as to protect the ignition button from depression. The safety switch must be moved aside to disengage from the stop before the ignition button can be depressed to set a fire on the fire outlet opening. The safety device of the present invention has a simple construction, which provide effective and firm safety to the lighter without adversely affecting the appearance of the lighter and the operation of actuation of the lighter, yet eliminating the potential risks of being accidentally actuated by a child or due to inadvertent contact with the ignition button.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art by reading the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a safety device constructed in accordance with the present invention mounted on a top face of a lighter;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the safety device in a released condition to allow depression of an ignition button of the lighter;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the safety device with a safety switch shown in section;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the lighter with the safety device shown in section; and

FIG. 5 is similar to FIG. 4 but showing the safety device in a released condition.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to the drawings and in particular to FIG. 1, which shows a perspective view of a safety device constructed in accordance with the present invention mounted on a top face of a casing 11 of a lighter, and FIG. 2, which shows the safety device of the present invention in a released condition in which a safety switch 30 of the safety device is moved aside and disengages from a stop block 14 to allow an ignition button 20 of electronic ignition of the lighter to be depressed for actuation of the electronic ignition.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the safety device of the present invention is mounted on a top face of a casing 11 of a lighter 10. The safety device comprises an ignition button 20 and a safety switch 30 arranged on the ignition button 20.

FIG. 3 shows an exploded view of the safety device with the safety switch 30 being broken.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the casing 11 of the lighter 10 forms an open chamber 13 in the top face thereof and a fire outlet opening 12 at one side of the open chamber 12. A top cover 15 is mounted to the top face of the casing 11 . The casing 11 has a wall vertically extending from the open chamber 13 and a stop 14 that has a flat top face and an inclined bottom face is formed on and projects from the wall of the casing 11, functioning to prevent the ignition button 20 from being depressed.

As shown in FIG. 3, the ignition button 20 is movably received in the chamber 13 and partially extends beyond the chamber 12 for access and depression or actuation by a user to control the electronic ignition mechanism accommodated inside the casing for setting a fire in the fire outlet opening 12. Formed on a surface of the ignition button 20 is a T-shaped slot 21 engaging the safety switch 30 and thus retaining the safety switch 30 on the top face of the ignition button 20 and also functioning to guide the safety switch 30 to move on the top face of the ignition button 20 along the slot 21.

The safety switch 30 has a bottom face on which a projection 31 is formed. The projection 31 is movably received in the T-shaped slot 21 and thus mounted to the ignition button 20. A spring 32 is arranged between the projection 3 l and an inside face of the ignition button 20 to provide a resilient biasing force that biases the safety switch 30 to a locked position where an end of the safety switch 30 is located on the stop 14 formed on the wall of the casing 11 above the chamber 13. Thus, the switch 30 is prevented from depression by the stop 14.

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the lighter with the safety switch shown in section. As shown in FIG. 4, the ignition button 20 is prevented from being moved downward due to the engagement between the end of the safety switch 30 and the flat top face of the stop 14.

FIG. 5 is similar to FIG. 4 but showing that the safety switch 30 is moved aside to release the engagement between the safety switch 30 and the stop 14 and thus allowing the ignition button 20 to be depressed for ignition.

According to the structure described above, the safety switch 30 and the ignition button 20 are arranged on the top side of the casing 11 of the lighter 10 in such a way that the safety switch 30 is provided with a biasing force by the spring 23 arranged between the projection 31 and inside face of the ignition button 20. Such a biasing force causes the end of the safety switch 30 to be located next to the wall of the casing 11 above the chamber 13 and thus engaging the top face of the stop 14, forming a locked condition and ignition button 20 is blocked from being depressed downward, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 4.

To actuate the ignition button 20, the safety switch 30 is moved aside first, as shown in FIG. 5, to disengage the safety switch 30 from the stop 14 and releasing the locked condition. The ignition button 20 is now depressible for actuation of ignition mechanism and a fire is set in the fire outlet opening 12. This ensures safety of operation of the lighter 10.

Once the ignition operation is completed, the depression force of the ignition button 20 is removed. The safety switch 30, due to camming action provided by the inclined bottom face of the stop 14, the safety switch 30 regains engagement with the top face of the stop 14 and resumes the locked condition shown in FIG. 1, wherein the ignition button 20 is no longer depressible.

The safety device in accordance with the present invention has small number of parts and a simple construction. This makes it possible to readily incorporate the safety device in a top face of a lighter to ensure operation safety of the lighter.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment thereof, it is apparent to those skilled in the art that a variety of modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention which is intended to be defined by the appended claims. 

1. A safety device mounted on a top side of a casing of a lighter, comprising an ignition button, and a safety switch arranged on the ignition button, wherein: the casing of the lighter forms in the top side thereof an open chamber delimited by a wall of the casing, a fire outlet opening by one side of the open chamber, a top cover mounted to the top side of the casing, a stop formed on the wall of the casing located above the open chamber and having a flat top face and an inclined bottom face; the ignition button is movably received in the open chamber to be depressible to actuate ignition mechanism to set a fire on the fire outlet opening, the ignition button having a top face in which a slot is defined; and the safety switch having a bottom face on which a projection is formed, the projection being movably received in the slot to retain the safety switch on the ignition button, a spring arranged between the projection and an inside face of the ignition button to provide the safety switch with a biasing force that drives an end of the safety switch to be located on the stop formed on the wall of the casing above the open chamber and stopped thereby, whereby the safety switch must be moved aside to disengage from the stop before the ignition button is depressed to set a fire on the fire outlet opening. 